How to make the perfect pot of cold brewed iced coffee

I am a huge fan of caffeine, especially coffee. If I had given a speech after finishing my MBA, I would have thanked my family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and coffee. I really enjoy my morning mug of coffee throughout all of the seasons. I strongly prefer cold brewed iced coffee, but will occasionally opt for a hot coffee in the dead of winter.

What is the difference between cold brewed and regular coffee, you might wonder. Using cold water rather than hot makes the end product less bitter. I usually only add a splash of almond, soy, or cow's milk to my cold brewed coffee, and no sweetener. I enjoy the taste the way it is. I also love lattes, but they are full of calories, upwards of 300+ for a large cup. That's almost as many calories as one might eat for breakfast, so I prefer to stick to coffee and save a latte as a very rare treat.

I've been drinking expensive cold brewed iced coffee from my local coffee shop. By expensive I mean $3-4 per large cup. That really adds up, so I thought I'd see if I could figure out how to cold brew at home. I tried and failed several years ago, and only thought to revisit it this year. I asked my local barista at Fazenda how they cold brewed their coffee, since it was my favorite. She gave me some helpful tips, so I will include them here so you can cold brew your own coffee at home.

Cold brewed iced coffee instructions

Ratio of coffee to water: 3-4 tsp. coffee per 6 oz. water

Coarsely grind the beans, and pre-soak them for 5 minutes in 10-20% of the water. Add the rest of the water to the grinds and let sit 8-12 hours. Then strain with a coffee filter or cheesecloth. This concentrated liquid might need to be diluted a bit to suit your taste.

I found this quite messy, so I found this cold brewed contraption on Amazon. It works great and I don't need to measure the coffee. I just fill to the top of the basket and add water.

Another option if you also like hot coffee is the Toddy.

With so many choices out there, put a dent in Dunkin Donuts' and Starbucks' profits and make your own. Happy brewing!